


An Unusual Ally

by General_Procrastination



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Avvar, Multi, Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition, Pre-Trespasser
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-23 20:44:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11409873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/General_Procrastination/pseuds/General_Procrastination
Summary: Corypheus is defeated, yet the Inquisition remains. There is still work left to do to ensure peace in Thedas.But another threat is already looming in the dark corners, a threat that is more cruel and brutal than feeding Red Lyrium to the Templars. People are disappearing without a trace, only few of them are found.In the evening before a strike against a rising Venatori cell in the Western Approach, the Inquisitor gets help from people he had never thought about, old friends of his spymaster. They offer to stay at Skyhold and help the Inquisition against the rising, yet unknown threat. But the price remains in the dark. No one helps for naught.





	An Unusual Ally

“Ah, Leliana,“ the Inquisitor managed to say before his advisors left the tent. The masterspy turned around, a questioning look on her face. “What is it, Inquisitor?“  
  
“The band of warriors you mentioned...” Ashwin Lavellan browsed through some reports lying on the table, mostly to keep his hands occupied and to not have to look up at the three people in front of him, knowing that the fear was clear on his face. “Any idea when they will arrive?”  
  
They were in a field camp of the Inquisition, he, his advisors and few of his companions, as well as about two hundred of his soldiers. Even know, six months after the defeat of Corypheus, the Inquisition still had to fight for peace in southern Thedas. The mage-templar-war had been ended, Corypheus was banished into the Fade, but there were still Venatori remaining, determined to capture the Inquisitor and rip open a tear in the Veil again to release Corypheus from his eternal prison, just as there were still Red Templars, raiding the lands in their madness, probably without an ulterior motive in their minds after Samson had been captured.  
  
And now...  
  
Several reports had reached the Inquisition, from Leliana’s spies, Cullen’s soldiers and Josephine’s contacts as well as from random people scattered through Ferelden, Orlais and the Free Marches. People were disappearing from smaller villages, only one or two at a time, and hardly any of them returned. If they did, they were dead, their faces dead masks of horror and pain, their skin ripped open, their bones broken.  
  
No one had ever seen anyone approaching one of the later victims, had ever noticed something suspicious, has heard anything. Leliana had tried everything to get a grip on what they were facing, but soon after she had started, the first spies had went silent. A week later, an almost furious, but also deeply scared letter had arrived, sent by King Alistair from Ferelden. Three corpses had been found in the middle of the royal courtyard in Denerim, dressed in the Inquisition’s uniforms, slashed, slaughtered, mutilated.  
  
After that, Ashwin had decided, not tolerating any contradiction, that every spy had to be pulled back from that matter. Not only were there lives endangered, the dead spies hadn’t found out anything - or had, at least, no chance to send a report. Considering that, it wouldn’t make any sense to send more people into their death. But they still didn’t know who or what they were dealing with.  
  
It scared Ashwin. Of course, in public, he was the fearless and strong leader of the Inquisition, sure to end the threat soon. But in private, where only Dorian, and him alone, could see him, he was scared as deeply as any soldier or civilian. He even hid that fear from his advisors. And, thankfully, it was one of the - few - things Dorian didn’t tell anyone.  
  
Eight weeks ago, a report of Knight-Captain Rylen arrived at Skyhold, informing Cullen about a new Venatori base forming in the Western Approach. It had taken them less than an hour to get the order to march. Now, there were standing in the middle of nowhere, the camp at the foot of Griffon Wing Keep, the sand creeping into their boots. The attack was planned for the next day. Ashwin would infiltrate the Still Ruins from the back, accompanied by Sera, Varric and Cassandra - who had gladly exchanged the Divine’s ridicilous headdress against a helmet one more time - and a handful of Leliana’s men, while Cullen would lead the attack at the front door.  
  
But on their way to the camp, Leliana had told him about some more allies she had managed to win. Although she hadn’t been exactly sure who they were and where they would come from, she had been convinced they meant no harm.  
“They saved my life, few years ago, when a blizzard surprised me in the middle of nowhere of the Frostbacks,” she had explained - after the close-to-furious Commander had managed to calm down a bit. Cullen hadn’t been too pleased with Leliana’s solo effort to gather more troops, especially since neither she nor one of the others knew much about them. “They looked... wild, but were surprisingly nice to me.” Since the message had already been sent, Ashwin Lavellan hadn’t seen much sense in yelling at her. Instead, he had simply accepted it, secretly thankful for every help they might get, because since the message from Rylen had arrived, a rather bad, disgusting feeling was nagging at his insides.

“I’m not sure,” the masterspy admitted, “but I hope they will join us tomorrow or the day after.”  
“Won’t be of much use, arriving after the battle,” the Commander muttered, but Ashwin ignored him, yet agreeing in silence.  
  
“Let’s hope they will”, Josephine sighed, rubbing her temples. Ashwin felt the headache as well, it had been a long day. His neck was hurting from the long ride and the hours bending his head over the war table, discussing strategies. He looked forward to join Dorian who would be waiting for him in his tent, hopefully prepared with a little ice spell to keep the inside cool, but his hopes were scattered when a soldier stumbled in the tent were the sad excuse of a replacement of the war table had been set.  
  
“Sorry, Inquisitor,” he stuttered, a concerned glare in the Commander’s direction, “but there are two barbarians approaching, demanding speaking to you. In Common!” He let it sound like it was the oddest thing to think about - barbarians, most likely Chasind or Avvar, using the Common tongue. Ashwin quickly changed a look with Leliana who shrugged. “It could be them, although I have to admit I hoped for more than just two.”  
  
Ashwin sighed and followed the soldier, his advisors right behind him. While they had been in the tent, talking, discussing and arguing, the sun had almost set, only a small part peeking over the horizon, shining against the keep over the Abyssal Reach. Ashwin heard a low growl and could picture the clenched fist of the Commander around his sword, like he usually did, always prepared to protect the Inquisitor. It wasn’t that Ashwin couldn’t defend himself - even without a staff he was capable to conjure his magic - but it was comforting to have a solid sword next to him, even if the newcomers might be their allies.  
  
They were only able to do several steps when Ashwin stopped again.  
  
Rylen was striding towards them, two persons behind him, one male and one female. They didn’t look left or right, although they were obviously eyed by the soldiers and Ashwin’s companions. He understood why - they didn’t look like any people he ever met until today. Compared to the guards walking next to them, both were incredibly tall, the woman at most two fingers smaller than the man. That and their unaffected faces were the only things they had alike, other than that, their appearances were totally different, if not the opposites.  
  
The man had black hair down to his shoulders, a few strands neatly combed back and put together at the back of his head. His eyes were dark as well, not showing any difference between his iris and his pupils. His skin was a soft brown, one or two shades darker than Dorian’s. His jaw was hard and sharp, his chin aggressive. When his gaze fell onto Ashwin, his brows narrowed for a brief moment before his face relaxed into an unreadable mask again. Two parallel scars ran down his temple over his cheek down to his throat. He had broad shoulders and was muscular, even more than Blackwall or the Commander. To Ashwin’s astonishment, his chest was naked, he only wore trousers made out of leather that went just to his knees, ignoring the cold creeping over the sand while the sun disappeared. The boots were covered in fur, obviously made from the same animal as the fur that slung over his left upper arm and shoulder, hold in place by several leather stripes. His chest bore scars as well, four parallel what looked like scratches, and an imprint of teeth, definitively from an animal, on his stomach. Over his whole body there were marks, as if someone had painted on him with a finger dipped in red colour.  
  
The woman, however, had white-silver hair, falling down from a high ponytail to the middle of her back in a wild mess, the lower part braided into small plaits sticking to her skull, and a skin as white as fresh fallen snow. The colour of her eyes was an uncomfortable silvery white, the black of her pupils sticking out of it. Immediately, Ashwin was sure nothing would be able to escape these eyes. Taking a closer look, it became clear that her face was a slightly smaller edition of the man’s features, only her chin was not as aggressive as his. Her body was - not what Ashwin was used to. Most women he met were slender, small, sometimes even fragile. After he had met the first human women, he had come aware of how slim the elven women actually were. But this woman was as muscular and strong-looking as the man next to her, even Cassandra had a more feminine body. She wore the same kind of boots and trousers as the other newcomer, completed with a top out of cloth, hiding her upper body from glances. On her right wrist and forearm she had a stripe of cloth wound around, held in place by small leather stripes. A long scar went across the nose bridge down her cheek, and one went down her left upper arm. She had the same red marks as the man, but she seemed to have more of them.  
While approaching, both had a slightly fierce look in their eyes while their faces were unreadable. Ashwin and his advisors watched them in silence until they stopped few steps away.  
  
The woman slightly bent her head, the briefest of movements. “Inquisitor.”


End file.
